Toilet ventilation system

ABSTRACT

The toilet ventilation system includes at least one toilet seat having an interior air channel disposed through the entire circumference of the seat and a plurality of apertures disposed through the bottom surface communicating with the interior channel. A vacuum pump is connected to the channel by tubing. A plurality of microswitches are attached to the bottom of the toilet seat, including a standby switch that turns the pump on when the seat is lowered onto the bowl, a pressure switch that activates the pump when a person is seated on the toilet, and a water switch that shuts the pump off in the event of a toilet overflow. The pump features microcontroller operation, has an activated charcoal filter for removing odors from air pumped away from the mouth of the toilet bowl, and is powered either by a wall transformer with built-in GFCI protection or by rechargeable batteries.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/816,636, filed Jun. 27, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to ventilation systems, and morespecifically to a ventilation system for a toilet.

2. Description of the Related Art

Noxious odors and gaseous fumes present in toilets and in the spaceabout toilets have always been a normal, but unpleasant, result oftoilet use. These odors and fumes are especially prevalent in areascontaining many toilets and in a small bathroom containing a singletoilet. Over the years, various venting systems have been developed toremove the odors resulting from normal toilet use. These systems haveworked with greater or lesser degrees of success, depending upon theirdesign and configuration of components. In most cases, such toiletventing systems have required a specially configured bowl to collect andchannel odors in response to operation of a gas exhaust system. Toimplement such apparatus requires replacement of an existing toilet,which may involve new plumbing fixtures or at least detachment andreattachment of water and sewage lines. The labor for such removal andinstallation work is expensive and the costs for replacing a toilet arenot insignificant.

There is a need for a toilet ventilation system that can be used with atoilet of essentially conventional configuration. Thus, a toiletventilation system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The toilet ventilation system includes a toilet seat for use with aconventional toilet, the toilet seat having an interior air channeldisposed through the entire circumference of the seat and a plurality ofapertures disposed through the bottom surface communicating with theinterior channel. A vacuum or suction pump is connected to the channelby tubing. A plurality of microswitches are attached to the bottom ofthe toilet seat, including a standby switch that turns the pump on whenthe seat is lowered onto the bowl but does not activate the pump motor,a pressure switch that activates the pump when a person is seated on thetoilet, and a water switch that shuts the pump off in the event of atoilet overflow. The pump features microcontroller operation, has anactivated charcoal filter for removing odors from air pumped away fromthe mouth of the toilet bowl, and is powered either by a walltransformer with built-in GFCI protection or by rechargeable batteries.

Optionally, the pump may include a scent cartridge for releasing a scentwhen the pump is activated.

These and other features of the present invention will become readilyapparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a top view of a toilet ventilation system according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 1B is a top view of the toilet ventilation system configured formultiple toilets according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view of a toilet ventilation system accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic top view of the pump unit of a toiletventilation system according to the present invention with the coverremoved.

FIG. 4 is a pneumatic schematic diagram of a toilet ventilation systemaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the electronic components and circuitsin a toilet ventilation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an electrical schematic of the power supply circuits of atoilet ventilation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an electrical schematic of the pump control unit circuit of atoilet ventilation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows an electrical schematic of a processor circuit of a toiletventilation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an electrical schematic of an alternative embodiment of thetoilet ventilation system pump control unit circuit according to thepresent invention.

FIGS. 10A-10B show an electrical schematic of an alternative embodimentprocessor control circuit according to the present invention.

FIGS. 11A-11B show an electrical schematic of a toilet ventilationsystem moisture detect and pressure sense circuitry for multiple toiletsaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing pressure sense input connectorsand operator input pushbutton circuitry of a toilet ventilation systemaccording to the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a toilet ventilation system, designatedgenerally as 100 a and 100 b in the drawings.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-3, toilet ventilation systems 100 a and 100 b arefor use with at least one conventional toilet. The system includes anannular toilet seat 12 having an interior channel 14 defined thereinextending through the entire circumference of the seat 12. The seat 12also has a plurality of apertures 16 defined through the bottom surfacethat communicate with the interior channel 14. Apertures 16 and interiorchannel 14 in toilet seat 12 act to collect and channel away noxious airthat accumulates in and around the mouth of the toilet bowl.

Along a rear portion of toilet seat 12, interior channel 14 is connectedto a preferably flexible hose or tubing which forms an exhaust conduit28 that keeps channel 14 in fluid connection with a pump unit 22. Pumpunit 22 has a housing. As shown in FIG. 3, disposed within the housingare an evacuation pump 24, a pump control module 32, a carbon filter 26,and an optional scented cartridge 34. The processor and pump controlcircuits described below may also be disposed within the pump housing.The pump 24 and related circuitry may be connected to the a.c. powermain by a wall transformer plug 36 that has a case 35 housing the powersupply and ground fault interrupter circuitry described below, with aGFCI reset button 37 mounted to a side of the case 35. The pump 24 maybe a vacuum pump, suction pump, exhaust fan, blower fan, or any otherdevice that is adapted to draw air through apertures 16, channel 14,tubing or hose 28, and filter 26, and to exhaust the air from pump unit22.

Again referring to FIG. 3, an adapter 30 is used to connect flexiblehose 28 to pump unit 22 and is equipped with a one-way valve, allowingfluid to travel only from toilet seat 12 into pump unit 22. As shown inFIGS. 1A-4, evacuation pump 24 is controlled by pump control module 32and acts to draw the noxious air collected in channel 14 away from thetoilet area through flexible hose 28 and into pump unit 22. The noxiousair from flexible hose 28 travels through adapter/valve 30, then throughactive carbon filter 26 (which exhaust is now non-noxious air), thenthrough evacuation pump 24, then through optional scent cartridge 34 andthen out of casing of the pump unit 22 via venting holes 27. It will beunderstood, however, that activated carbon filter 26 is sufficient, byitself, to remove noxious odors from the air drawn through pump unit 22,and adding scented fragrance to air exhausted from pump unit 22 is anoptional feature.

A switch 18 is disposed along the bottom surface of toilet seat 12.Switch 18 may be two switches in a single housing, including a normallyopen standby switch that is configured to close when toilet seat 12 isin a down position. The standby switch is in electrical connection withpump unit 22 so that when the switch 18 is closed, evacuation pump 24 isput into standby mode. Switch 18 may also include a pressure sensorswitch, which is also a normally open switch that is configured to closewhen a user is seated on toilet seat 12. The pressure switch is inelectrical connection with pump unit 22 so that when the pressure switchis closed, the entire circuit is closed and evacuation pump 24 isactivated to pump air away from toilet seat 12, and thus from the toiletbowl.

Switch 18 is preferably a microswitch, and may, for example, include asingle button or plunger that compresses two springs having differentspring constants so that the button or plunger is depressed to twodifferent depths, depending upon whether the seat is lowered against thebowl with or without additional pressure applied to the seat by theweight of a user sitting upon the seat, in order to close one contact inthe standby mode or two contacts in the pressure mode. Alternatively,switch 18 may comprise two entirely separate switches. Momentaryswitches suitable for use as a standby switch and pressure switches thatdo not close until a predetermined weight or pressure is exerted againstthe switch are well known, and will not be described further.

A second switch 20 (or third switch, if switch 18 comprises discreteswitches) is also disposed on the bottom of seat 12. Switch 20 is awater sensor switch that senses when an overflow occurs in the toiletwhen the seat is lowered and cuts off current to the pump unit 22 andother circuitry in order to avoid the risk of electrical shock. Thestructure of the water switch 20 is described below in conjunction withFIG. 7.

FIG. 4 displays a pneumatic schematic drawing of the toilet ventilationsystem showing toilet seat 12 and pump unit 22 connected by hose 28.Pump unit 22 includes adapter 30 with built-in one-way valve, filter 26,evacuation pump 24, and optional scented cartridge 34. Toilet seat 12includes interior channel 14 with corresponding apertures 16 and is inconnection with hose 28 through the use of two valves or adapters 38 and40.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of the electrical components and circuitsin toilet ventilation systems 100 a and 100 b. The systems 100 a and 100b may include a power circuit 52 for converting power supplied by the acpower mains 50 from 120-volt ac power to a dc power level appropriate topower the pump motor of evacuation pump 24, which is preferably about12-volts dc, although the power level will depend upon the particularmake and model of evacuation pump 24 that is used. The power circuit 52preferably also includes a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) 54for the prevention of electrical shock in the event that water isdisposed in the area of the pump unit 22. The power supply circuit 52and GFCI 54 could be disposed in the pump housing or a separate,discrete housing connected to a wall outlet by a separate cord and plug.However, as described above, in a preferred embodiment, the power supply52 and GFCI 54 are housed in a wall transformer case having prongs thatcan be plugged directly into the wall outlet in order to keep the highvoltage components off of the floor, so that the high voltage componentsare not exposed to water if the toilet overflows, thereby decreasing therisk of electrical shock.

The 12-volt power supply provides power for various components in thepump circuit 56, including pump 24, etc. The circuitry also includes aregulated 5-volt power supply circuit 58 that supplies power to variouspump control circuitry, including a PIC microcontroller 60 or otherprocessor circuit, standby and pressure switches 18, water sensor 20,relay 62, etc. The processor or microcontroller 60 may include indicatordiodes 64 and/or other display devices to indicate the state of systems100 a or 100 b.

The systems 100 a and 100 b may also include a 12-volt battery 66 orbattery pack, which is preferably provided by rechargeable batteries.The pump control circuitry includes a battery charging circuit 68 forrecharging battery 66. Thus, the systems 100 a/100 b may be operated byac power when plug 36 is plugged into a wall outlet, or may be poweredby battery 66 when the device is unplugged or when there is a powerfailure in the ac power mains 50.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary electrical schematic of the power supply usedin powering the pump unit of the system. T1 is a transformer with a120-volt AC primary and a 12-volt AC secondary. CR2 is a bridgerectifier that converts the 12-volt AC to DC. TB1 is a 2-positionterminal strip connected to the cord leading to pump unit 22.

Circuit breaker CB1, current sensing transformer T2, bridge rectifierCR1, silicon controlled rectifier Q1, integrated circuit U1, and theremaining resistors, capacitors, and diodes form the ground faultcircuit interrupter. U1 an LM1851 ground fault interrupter chip orcomparable substitute. If a ground fault occurs, T2 produces a voltageproportional to the severity of the fault. Q1 will trigger U1 if thefault current exceeds five milliamperes, tripping circuit breaker CB1and shutting down power to the systems 100 a/100 b until the resetbutton 37 is pushed and the fault is removed.

FIGS. 7 and 9 show alternative exemplary electrical schematics of a pumpcontrol circuit of the systems 100 a/100 b that is used to controlsystems operation. For system 1 φa, as shown in FIG. 7, the pumpreceives power from the 12-volt dc power supply. R6 supplies a biasvoltage to the base of bipolar power transistor Q2, which turns on andoff upon receipt of control signals from microcontroller circuit 60 toswitch relay K1, thereby turning the pump on and off. As shown in FIG.9, in alternative pump control circuit 900 used in system 100 b, a plugterminal P2 may be provided for electrical connections of the pumpcontrol circuit 900 to a battery and speaker, the speaker being providedto audibly alert alarm conditions and/or other status of the toiletventilation system.

(FIG. 7 U3), C1, C2, C3 and D1 provide a regulated 5-volt power supplyfor the microcontroller circuitry 60 and other components of the pumpcontrol circuit. FIG. 7-U3 is an LM7805 or equivalent 5-volt voltageregulator. D1 and C1 form a half-wave filter. TB6 is a 2-positionterminal strip connected to rechargeable battery or batteries 66, whichprovide power to the regulator FIG. 7-U3 and pump 24 in the absence ofan ac voltage.

Transistors Q3 and Q4 (general purpose or switching bipolartransistors), R7-R12, R14, R15 and microcontroller U2 (shown in FIG. 8)form a battery charging circuit for battery 66. The circuit provides atrickle charge current of approximately 100 mA. Resistors R11 and R12provide a sensing voltage to microcontroller U2. When the plug 36 isconnected to ac power mains 50, the voltage across R12 will be highenough to cause U2 to put 5V at R7, switching on Q3. This enables thecharging circuit. U2 also monitors the battery voltage through resistorsR14 and R15. When U2 determines that the battery has been charged, itdisables the charging circuit. D4 prevents reverse current flow throughthe charging circuit when plug 36 is not connected to the ac mains 50.

D3 provides an alternate power path for the control circuit in the eventthe battery voltage falls too low. When this happens, the controlcircuit will not operate the pump 24 until the battery 66 has beenadequately charged.

The standby switch, pressure switch, and water sensor switch aresupplied with power by the 5-volt regulated circuit 58. Although otherwater sensors may be used, water sensor 20 may include two wires placedclose together so that when water bridges across the two wires (e.g.,when the toilet bowl overflows), a conductive path is formed in thebase-emitter junction of Q1 (a general purpose or switching bipolartransistor). Collector current from Q1 produces a voltage across R4,which is monitored by U2.

When the standby switch and the pressure switch are closed, and when Q1is off, i.e., no water is sensed, inputs A, B, and C to U2 are all lowvoltage, so that U2 will put 5V at R6, turning on Q2 and energizingrelay K1 to provide power to pump 24. Diode D2 protects Q2 from the highflyback voltage that occurs when the relay K1 drops out.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, resistors R5 and R13, zener diode D8, andcapacitor C4 protect the motor of pump 24 from excessive current. Whenthe motor is running, a small voltage is developed across R5. Thisvoltage is applied across R13 and C4, which form a filter to smooth thevoltage. If the voltage becomes too large as a result of excessive motorcurrent, U2 will de-energize the relay K1, shutting off the motor ofpump 24. U2 will periodically re-energize the relay K1 for brief periodsof time in an attempt to clear the fault. Zener diode D8 protects U2from excessive voltage as a result of current spikes in pump 24.

Referring to FIG. 8, U2 is preferably a PIC16f914 microcontroller orcomparable microcontroller or microprocessor. D7 is a dual LED used as acharge indicator. D5 and D6 are indicators to show the status of thewater sensor and standby switches, respectively. RP1 is a resistor packthat provides current limiting resistors for the indicator diodes. Whenthe charging circuit is not enabled, U2 monitors the battery voltage andcontrols the color of D7 so that D7 is a solid red with the power unitplugged in and the battery charging, D7 is solid green when the powerunit is plugged in and the battery is fully charged, D7 is flashing redwhen the power unit is unplugged and the battery needs charging, and D7is off when the power unit is unplugged, the battery is fully charged,and the unit is functional.

D6 is an indicator for the standby switch and flashes once every twoseconds when the seat 12 is lowered and the standby switch is closed. D5is an indicator for the water sensor 20 and turns on when water issensed and Q1 turns on. Pump control circuit 56, relay 62, 5-volt powersupply circuit 58, microcontroller circuit 60, battery 66, and batterycharging circuit 68 may be housed in the pump unit 22. The indicatordiodes D5, D6, and D7 may be mounted on the housing of the pump unit 22.

As shown in FIGS. 10A-10B, alternative processor configuration 1000 maycomprise a PIC18f441040 DIP (Dual In-Line Packaged) microcontroller orcomparable microcontroller or microprocessor. SMT (Surface MountTechnology) processors and other electronic components are alsocontemplated by the present invention. The processor U4 may include adisplay interface 1007 for a display unit such as, e.g., Liquid CrystalDisplay (LCD) (FIG. 10B U3). Additionally, an operator interface 1009for operator inputs is provided and may comprise connections for akeyboard, keypad (e.g., Left, Right, UP, Down arrow button keypad) orother means of operator input to the processor U4. Additionally, aprogramming connector 1013 (P3) may be provided for ease of programmingthe processor U4.

Thus, the systems 100 a/100 b provide a pump 24 for pumping air fromaround the toilet bowl when a person is seated on the toilet seat 12,and remove noxious odors from the air by pumping the air through acharcoal filter 26. The device includes a water sensor 20 to shut downthe unit when the toilet overflows, and may also include a GFCI circuit54 to interrupt power when a fault condition is detected. The highvoltage components are preferably kept above the floor by incorporatingthe power supply 52 and GFCI circuit 54 into a wall transformer plug 36to increase safety.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 10A-10B, either system 100 a or system 100 bmay include an Ethernet communications port 1005 for communicatingstatus of and accepting commands directed to the toilet ventilationsystem for either local or wide area status and system control. Ethernetconnectivity of the systems 100 a/100 b may be wired or wireless. Asshown in FIGS. 10A-10B, the serial to Ethernet bridge 1005 has transmitand receive lines connected to processor U4 at processor interface portsRC7 and RC6, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 1B, alternative embodiment toilet ventilation system100 b may be provided in a configuration that can ventilate a pluralityof toilets T. The system 100 b configured in the manner shown in FIG. 1Bis ideally suited for motels, hotels, convention centers, large homes,and the like. Toilets T may be separated by separation stalls SS havingpivoting stall doors D. Each toilet seat 12 is equipped with interiorchannel 14, seat apertures 16, pressure switch 18, water detect switch20, and exhaust conduit 28. A manifold 13 is provided having inletfittings 15 that free ends of exhaust conduits 28 can attach to. One endof the manifold 13 is capped off. The remaining end of manifold 13 isconnected to the pump unit 22. In this manner, a common duct system iscreated in which one pump 22 can provide suction ventilation/airpurification for the plurality of toilets T. As shown in FIGS. 10A-11B,within moisture and pressure detect systems (1100, 1105), pressureswitches 18 from the plurality of toilets T can be multiplexed viamultiplexers U5 and U6 to provide a single PRESSURE signal as input toprocessor U4. Thus, if a person sits on any one of toilets T, thePRESSURE signal goes TRUE to thereby activate the ventilation system 100b. Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 10A-11B, a single moisture detect circuit1105 can be responsive to the water switches 20 from each of toilets T aWATER (moisture detected) signal to processor U4. Thus, if moisture isdetected at any one of toilets T, the WATER signal goes TRUE to therebydeactivate the ventilation system 100 b until the problem can be fixed.Referring again to FIG. 1B, the ventilation system 100 b can becontrolled via operator input and monitored via display of status at aconveniently located control station 1011.

As shown in FIG. 12, input connections 1200 may be comprised of pressureswitch sense connectors P6 and P7 for the plurality of pressure switches20. Additionally input connections 1200 may also include pushbuttonsPB1-PB5 to provide keypad functions KEY UP, KEY DOWN, KEY LEFT, KEYRIGHT, and KEY SELECT.

The systems 100 a or 100 b may be operated from ac power or from batterypower using batteries that may be recharged when either system isconnected to the ac power mains. The toilet ventilation systems 100a/100 b therefore provide an effective, convenient, and safe method ofremoving noxious odors from the bathroom.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A toilet ventilation system to be used with a toilet having a toilet bowl, the toilet ventilation system comprising: a toilet seat having a bottom surface and an interior channel defined within the seat, the seat having a plurality of apertures disposed through the bottom surface and communicating with the interior channel; the toilet seat being pivotally mounted to the toilet bowl; a pump unit having a housing and a vacuum pump disposed within the housing, the vacuum pump being connected to the interior channel and operative to pump air from the toilet bowl through the apertures, interior channel and pump unit; a filter disposed in the pump unit housing for removing noxious odors from the air pumped through the pump unit; a control circuit for turning the pump on and off, the control circuit having an Ethernet communications channel for communicating status of and accepting commands directed to the toilet ventilation system; an electrical power source for powering the toilet ventilation system; and a pressure switch disposed on the toilet seat, the pressure switch being connected to the control circuit and having a normally open position in which the control circuit turns the pump off when no weight is applied to the toilet seat, and a closed position causing the control circuit to turn the pump on when the toilet seat is pivotally lowered onto the toilet bowl and a person is seated on the toilet seat; a water status switch disposed on the toilet seat, the water status switch being connected to the control circuit in which the control circuit deactivates the pump when water is detected at the switch.
 2. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 1, wherein the electrical power source further comprises: a wall transformer housed in a case; a plurality of prongs extending from the case, the plurality of prongs being adapted for insertion into a wall outlet; a step-down transformer circuit disposed within the case for stepping down voltage supplied from the wall outlet; and a ground fault circuit interrupter disposed within the case, the ground fault circuit interrupter including a circuit breaker mounted within the case and a reset button mounted on a sidewall of the case for resetting the circuit breaker.
 3. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 1, wherein the interior channel defined therein extends through the entire circumference of the seat.
 4. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum pump being connected to the interior channel is facilitated by an exhaust conduit extending from the interior channel, the exhaust conduit being connected to the pump unit.
 5. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 4, further comprising: a plurality of the toilet seats attached to a respective plurality of toilets; a manifold having a plurality of inlets, a capped end, and a remaining end, the remaining manifold end being attached to the pump unit; exhaust conduits of the plurality of seats being connected to the pump unit via a respective of the manifold inlets; and wherein a single said pump can provide suction ventilation/air purification for the plurality of toilets.
 6. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 4, further comprising: the pump being disposed in a housing; and a pump control module, and a carbon filter being disposed in the housing.
 7. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 6, further comprising: an adapter used to connect the exhaust conduit to the pump unit, the adapter being equipped with a one-way valve, allowing flow only from the toilet seat into the pump unit.
 8. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 7, wherein noxious air is filtered through the carbon filter, the filtered air being released from the pump unit through a vent located on the pump unit.
 9. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 8, further comprising: a scented cartridge being disposed in the pump unit and an additional vent being disposed on the pump unit to accommodate air flow from the scented cartridge.
 10. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 1, wherein the switch further comprises: a normally open standby switch in electrical connection with the pump unit so that when the switch is closed, the pump is put into a standby mode; a normally open pressure sensor switch being configured to close when a user is seated on the toilet seat, the pressure switch being in electrical connection with the pump unit so that when the pressure switch is closed, the entire circuit is closed to activate the pump which pumps air away from the toilet seat and bowl.
 11. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises: a microcontroller circuit, the microcontroller circuit having control outputs to relay for controlling the pump; the microcontroller having inputs for receiving pressure switch and water sensor status in order to determine whether to turn the pump on or off.
 12. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 11, wherein the system is inhibited from being activated when a toilet water overflow condition is sensed.
 13. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 11, wherein the system is deactivated when an overvoltage is detected.
 14. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 11, further comprising: a dual visual display used as a charge indicator; visual indicators to show the status of the water sensor and standby switches, respectively; means for audibly alerting a user of toilet ventilation system status.
 15. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 11, further comprising: means for operably connecting a plurality of the pressure and water switches from a plurality of the toilet seats to the pressure switch and water sensor status inputs of the microcontroller; and wherein when a person sits on any one of the toilets, the ventilation system is activated, and conversely, when moisture is detected at any one of toilets, the ventilation system is deactivated until the problem can be fixed.
 16. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 11, further comprising: means for accepting operator inputs to the system; means for displaying the operator inputs; means for displaying status of the toilet ventilation system.
 17. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 16, wherein the means for accepting operator inputs to the system, means for displaying the operator inputs, means for displaying status of the toilet ventilation system are disposed in a conveniently located control station.
 18. A toilet ventilation system to be used with a plurality of toilets, each of the toilets having a toilet bowl, the toilet ventilation system comprising: a plurality of toilet seats, each toilet seat having a bottom surface and an interior channel defined within the seat, the seat having a plurality of apertures disposed through the bottom surface and communicating with the interior channel; each of the toilet seats capable of being pivotally mounted to a respective one of the toilet bowls; a pump unit having a housing and a vacuum pump disposed within the housing; a manifold having a plurality of inlets, a sealed off end, and a remaining end, the remaining manifold end being connected to the pump unit; means for connecting each of the plurality of inlets to a respective interior channel of a respective one of the plurality of toilet seats; and wherein the system is operative to pump air from the toilet bowl through the apertures, interior channel, manifold and pump unit; a filter disposed in the pump unit housing for removing noxious odors from the air pumped through the pump unit; a control circuit for turning the pump on and off; an electrical power source for powering the toilet ventilation system; and a plurality of pressure switches, each being disposed on a respective one of the plurality of toilet seats, the pressure switches being connected to the control circuit and each of the pressure switches having a normally open position in which the control circuit does not activate the pump in the absence of weight being applied to the toilet seat, and a closed position causing the control circuit to turn the pump on when any one of the plurality of toilet seats is pivotally lowered onto a respective one of the toilet bowls and a person is seated on the toilet seat; a plurality of water status switches, each being disposed on a respective one of the plurality of toilet seats, the water status switches being connected to the control circuit in which the control circuit deactivates the pump when water is detected at any one of the switches.
 19. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 18, further comprising: an Ethernet communications system, the Ethernet communications system being operably connected to the control circuit for communicating status of and accepting commands directed to the toilet ventilation system.
 20. The toilet ventilation system, according to claim 18, further comprising: a conveniently located control station, the control station including means for operator input to the control circuit and means for display and audible alert of ventilation system status to the operator. 